January 1,
2013 Daniel
Daring
Daniel's previous reflections
The
blessing for a New Year – Mary, Mother of God
Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21
“Only blessing?” - one may ask. That seems so little. Having in mind that we often use, “God bless you” as a polite expression not very different from “take care” or “have a nice day,” we would rather prefer something more concrete. We may be doubting whether God's blessing bestowed on us on this first day of a new year would be able to carry us safely throughout the entire year. Yet, as the New Interpreter's Bible rightly states, a blessing “is not a casual activity.” It carries with itself a power to protect from charms, magic spells, and all sorts of bad influence. Each time my mother was sending us off to school, field trip, or vacation, she would mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross, firmly believing in the protecting power of this blessing.
Let us look then at the promises of this three-fold blessing. “The Lord bless you and keep you.” The first part of the blessing speaks about God's favor and protection, something which we will definitively need in the coming days. God promises to shower us with good things and, at the same time, to guard us against all sorts of evil. As His children, calling Him, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6), we are being assured of His constant care.
“The Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.” The second part of the blessing speaks about God's graciousness. In moments of confusion and darkness, in moments of losing direction or being overwhelmed by problems, God promises to shine over us, dispelling darkness and leading the way. And in moments of personal tragedies, failures, or sinfulness, we are assured of His counsel and mercy.
“The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” Finally, the last part of the blessing indicates that God is going to be concerned even with the smallest matters of our lives. He is going to pay attention to our needs, trials, difficulties, and problems. Moreover, in the midst of stressful and depressing situations, we are going to be blessed with the gift of His peace. This peace, Shalom, goes beyond our common understanding of peace as the absence of war. It embraces such aspects of life like “good health, security, inner harmony, wellness, material prosperity, and a long life” (the New Interpreter's Bible). Who would not like to receive such a gift?
The importance of God's
blessing for our lives is clearly explained by the biblical writers. The book of
Proverbs states that “the blessing of the Lord makes rich, and toil adds
nothing to it” (Proverb 10:22). The same conviction is declared in Psalm 37:22
by announcing that “those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land.” But
nowhere is this message captured so aptly like in Psalm 127:1-2:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for
he provides for his beloved during sleep.
It is in the nature of God to bless. It is in our interest to receive His
blessing. Mary was called blessed among women (Luke 1:28), because she was
chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. She received that blessing with trust
that what was spoken to her was going to be fulfilled (Luke 1:45). That is the
amazing thing about God's blessing: making the impossible happen. And this
blessing is promised to us on this very first day of our new year. God has
chosen us for something special, something unique, and because of this He is
bestowing His blessing upon us. Let us receive, then, this precious gift with
faith, trusting that God's protection, graciousness, and peace will accompany us
throughout this year, so we can see the impossible taking place in our lives.
May we have a truly blessed year.